Two million people pass through airports daily. With the demands on Security after September 9/11, new regulations have been imposed on the traveler. One demand requires luggage to be openable for inspection by security personnel, leaving travelers with less secure luggage while in transit. This new regulation has not only increased the burden on travelers, but on the carriers, hotels, luggage handlers, and the entire system. When luggage is compromised, because luggage is not locked, it is more difficult to fend off responsibility for theft claims, even when a carrier may not have been the party holding or handling the bags when the violation occurred.
The luggage industry has been successful in standardizing luggage to selected sizes, shapes and color. As a result, most luggage looks very similar, and the traveler must locate their luggage with the aid of small I.D. (identification) tags, attached to the luggage with string or straps. Unfortunately, these I.D. tags may be torn from the luggage during transit. Travelers have also been warned about placing too much I.D. information on a tag for fear a potential vandal will learn where they live. Some people are hesitant to use I.D. tags containing personal information. The identification tags are often difficult to read from a distance, or while the luggage is in route on a conveyor, resulting in confusion, mistakes, time delays, and lost and misappropriated luggage. In August 2006, the rate of mishandled bags rose to 8.08 per 1,000 passengers, according to airconsumer.ost.dot.gov. Since August 2006, when domestic airlines dramatically restricted what could be carried on board, the number of checked bags has soared. According to numbers released by the U.S. Department of Transportation in September 2006, some 183,234 bags were mishandled, up 92 percent from the year before. Globally, about 30 million bags go astray every year, of which around 200,000 are never reunited with their owners.
With 11 million people traveling on cruises annually, the cruise line or passenger carrier has to be able to quickly identify the luggage at the airport for the passengers riding thereon. They also have to be sure that, at the shipping ports, airports, and terminals, the luggage gets onto the correct carrier. One missed bag will not rejoin the passenger until their cruise is over. This can be very upsetting to the traveler. The I.D. tags can be torn off, while labels adhesively attached to the luggage leave a residue on the luggage fabric, which is not acceptable to many travelers.
The use of an electronic system for tracking and storing bags is the way of the future, and one system already gaining popularity is with the use of R.F.I.D. (radio frequency identification) tags, sometimes called sensors. R.F.I.D. tags may be built into new products, but the ability to safely attach the R.F.I.D. tags to existing travel luggage is a challenge, solved by this invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,365 and PCT WO 00/70587 issuing to Frances J. Caplan, discloses the use of labels and tags which include distinctive patterns or a combination of patterns which are attached to luggage with adhesive, string or straps to aid identification. The adhesive can leave residue on the luggage fabric, while the string or straps may be torn off during transit.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2006/0144661 by Lucia Louise Burns, discloses a luggage hugger made of stretchable fabric forming a continuous band about the luggage. The luggage hugger is easily removable and replaceable about the luggage during transport.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,974 issuing to Tommie L. Mitchell and Juanita Mitchell discloses an elastic strap and lock with ring assemblies for luggage, wherein the strap may be placed beneath the luggage handle. The strap includes a plurality of holes through the elastic strap to adjust the size of the strap to fit the luggage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,768 issuing to Glenn E. Mann discloses an alarm strap for luggage, which emits an audible alarm when the alarm strap is broken.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,282 issuing to John C. Fore discloses an inelastic plastic tape which is wrapped around the lock on the luggage. The tape adheres to itself and to the luggage over the entire length of the tape, leaving an adhesive residue on the luggage, when the tape is removed.
U.S. Design Pat. 297,248 issuing to Victor M. Barr discloses an identification band for use on luggage and garment bags. The identification band has hook and loop type closure material on opposite ends and opposite sides of the band. The band may be easily removed, the luggage opened, then the band replaced, without subsequent observable detection.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,818 issuing to John P. Orwin discloses a pair of straps, which encircle the luggage and pass on either side of the luggage handle. An additional pair of cross straps are secured between the encircling straps to stop the device from being slid or pulled off the luggage. Hook and loop fasteners are used to secure and tighten the encircling straps, which may be removed during transit without subsequent observable detection.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,343 issuing to Warren R. Stumpe discloses a label system for package and baggage handling, which has printing on one side and the other side is at least partially coated with an adhesive. The label is affixed to the luggage on three sides for ease of identification. The adhesive is likely to leave an adhesive residue on the luggage after removal of the label, which is tacky.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,656 issuing to Albert A. Kashinski discloses an elastic cover and seal for protecting luggage, wherein the elastic cover seals the closure around a substantial portion of the luggage. An opening is provided in the elastic cover to receive the luggage handle therethrough.
U.S. Design Pat. 340,338 issuing to Scott C. Van Buren discloses a removable and reusable golf bag strap having a graphic design positioned thereon. The strap has hook and loop type fasteners on opposing ends and opposing sides to secure the strap to a golf bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,312 issuing to Louis Soltanoff discloses a label for baggage handling, wherein an encircling belt of heat-shrinkable plastic material is shrunk about the luggage, and a destination identifying indicia is printed on the plastic belt, which may be read by an optical scanner to determine the destination of the baggage. While these inventions provide selected improvements to luggage handling, they do not provide the protection, group and individual identification, low cost and convenience provided by the present invention.
Thus, what is needed is a disposable luggage wrap, which is easily installed about a piece of luggage, and which is adhesively secured to itself without damage to the luggage. The luggage wrap preferably passes through the luggage handle on the side of the luggage as shown in FIG. 1A, or through the luggage handle and the extendable handle, as shown in FIG. 1B. The luggage wrap assembly provides easy identification of the luggage, and can be personalized with the user's signature or initials, to ensure integrity during transport. The disposable luggage wrap can include indicia relating to identification of a group or organization, which can be very beneficial when traveling together in a group on commercial or private carriers. The bottom surface of the luggage wrap provides a convenient mounting location for securing an R.F.I.D. tag, and preferably includes a pocket for travel information or identification while traveling, which may be accessed without opening the luggage or removal of the disposable luggage wrap. Two or more disposable luggage wraps may be joined end to end to encircle larger luggage. The disposable luggage wrap is attractive, economical, and easy to transport or store until needed.